The duke accepts a wager
Fitz, the Duke of Harrodshire, views marriage as a business arrangement, not a question of the heart. Especially once he bets his friends that he won’t marry the next woman he fancies. He knows it will be an easy win – until they take refuge from a snowstorm at Bleneccle Manor and he meets Lady Margot Wickham.
A widow in mourning
At her parents’ home in Northern England to recover from her husband’s sudden death, Lady Margot Wickham isn’t sure she’ll ever be ready to face the duties of being a Dowager Countess. When unexpected travelers show up in a snowstorm, Margot is grateful for the distraction.
Until she realizes she might be too distracted by a certain duke.
Duty calls
When Margot gets notice of unrest at her husband’s cotton mill, she realizes she can put off duty no longer. Alarmed, Fitz volunteers to accompany her south. He plans to help her resolve the issue – but the road trip is a convenient excuse to stay close, too.
CW: depression/grief
A snowstorm brings the Duke of Harrodshire to Lady Margot’s childhood home, where she is staying with her children to work through her grief and depression after the sudden loss of her husband. Known as the Diplomatic Duke, Fitz is accompanying his friends who have recently eloped to their home. It is during the journey he makes a wager whereby he promises he will be able to resist falling in love.
Enter Margot, for whom love is really the last thing on her mind. Margot, although working through complicated emotions over her husband’s death, is shown in her first interaction with the Duke to be a starburst of wit and humor, which instantly is attractive to the Duke. I put a content warning on the grief/depression because I think when my grief was really raw, this may have been hard for me to read. However, both were handled with kid gloves, with mostly references by other characters, and what instead was depicted was Margot really starting to recover. I actually debated about whether or not these deserved content warning, they were handled so softly, but I do think readers should be aware these themes are touched on.
Both characters are likeable, complex and without the hyperbole of being “the best” or “most”. Generally, they are attractive, wealthy, and also passionate about their respective causes. Margot gets the greatest character arc, really coming into her own as a Dowager Countess, and the Duke is an amazing support for her when faced with some misogyny coming at her from different angles.
This book is slower than mass market, with a gentle tone that is reminiscent of traditionals or authors like Mary Balogh that spend a lot of time allowing the dialogue and characters develop. It was minimal angst, with the plot mostly revolving around the two MCs figuring out how to reconcile their identities and goals with falling in love. Even though it was slow paced, I found myself finishing it very quickly as it was engaging and satisfying.
I also felt that Grant really understands the mood/tone of the era and delivers something that is an immersive experience that allows the breath to expand into a space where life was a bit slower, fuzzier (bad lighting and all), and free of the technology stress of today. That being said, Grant does tackle the social issue of industrialization related to mills and the conflict with Luddites/weavers. I am particularly fascinated by industrialization, and I think the way its used in the story really accentuates the central romance/character arcs.
Sex was on the page, but so briefly and tastefully that it really teeters on the edge of being kisses only. That is to say, that if you are a reader who doesn’t mind pre-marital sex with limited description on the page before the doors close, this will be a good match.
Although the second in a series, The Duchess Wager worked great as a standalone. Its hard to think about re-reading something with a TBR pile as big as mine, but I could see revisiting in the distant future. I am definitely interested to pick up more by Katherine Grant.
I would recommend this for readers looking for a softer Reg Rom that evokes the tone of a traditional.
4.5 out of 6 A wager, a snowstorm, and two passionate people finding love
| Content Rating/Heat Index | |
|---|---|
| Mature Content |   |
| A bit about grief and depression | |
| Intimacy | |
| A couple of scenes, very limited on page | |
| Violence | |
| Brief threat of violence from uprising | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Best for readers who don't mind brief sex on page. | |
